


Kryptonite to Me

by navaan



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Civil War, Civil War: The Confession (Marvel), Coda, M/M, Mutual Pining, Unresolved Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2019-03-24 01:10:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13800222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navaan/pseuds/navaan
Summary: Only Steve can hurt him like this. Only Tony can bring down Steve like that.





	Kryptonite to Me

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the cap-ironman Alphabet Challenge 2018 for the concepts of K - Kryptonite

“Director on deck,” the voice announces and Tony steps into the corridor in the armor.

 _New_ armor.

Because the one from their last fight will never see action again.

And Tony doesn't need to see the guilty and awed look of the 22year old young agent, who has been assigned guard duty, to know that it's time someone shoos him out. Steve has already worked his magic here: Asked the right questions, threw his moral weight around, learned what he needed to learn, planted the seed where hero worship was already tipping the balance.

Tony knows what that's like, but he would realize what's going on here even without that. Extremis is his eyes and ears and he _heard_ what was spoken. 

_He thought of everything,_ Steve muttered like the worst insult – and Tony couldn't be sure that he wasn't meant to hear it.

Yes, Tony thought of everything. Steve won't have an easy time escaping.

Tony isn't sure he'll try.

He gave himself up after all.

An inch away from crushing Tony's windpipe with his shield, he'd been dragged away and had stood down. Tony feels as crushed by this outcome as he feels by the weight of Happy Hogan's death. There's no good outcome as long as they don't all get back on the same page and work together.

And that mean Steve and him first.

Tony's back is to the wall. There's pretty much nowhere to turn anymore.

Nowhere to turn but Steve.

“What?” Steve spits as soon as they're along. He's hunched forward and looks terrible.

He eyes the armor and scoffs.

“I begged you to stop,” Tony says, and means it, means: _I offered to talk over and over and over again._

He hoped to find Steve in the quietly shaken state that made him stand down in the first place, but instead he finds a hurt, angry man sitting in cell, very close to rage.

And it's all for Tony.

Death.

Unspeakable wrongs.

Betrayal.

Tony knows what he's guilty of in Steve's eyes.

He expects the moral judgment, the distrust, the accusations. Tony kept this from Steve, didn't talk this out before it was already happening. It's something he's blamed himself for at times. Part of him hoped that Steve would never need to know, even if another part knew that something like Stamford would inevitably happen and turn the tide against them. 

_You understand both sides, Tony. You're one of them, but you're also one of us normal humans,_ Happy told him before things had fallen apart.

But he isn't anymore.

Not in Steve's eyes.

Utter _hate_ shows on Steve's face for Extremis and the powers it gives Tony and that shocks him more than anything else.

What's this? He knew that Steve wasn't happy with him since Extremis had enhanced him and he tried to tell himself it's a big change for everyone to cope with. Steve'll learn to accept this in time. Tony isn't _just_ a smart man in a suit of armor anymore, he and the suit are one.

Does that bug Steve?

Accusation stacks on accusation as Steve details exactly how much Tony's playing by the rules has been betrayal of his principles, tells him exactly what monster he sees in Tony. Steve knows war and freedom and right from wrong – and what does Tony know? Compromise to Steve means compromised principles. All the anger breaks free, as he spits the words into Tony's face. “How could you lay down with the people you've laid down with?? Tell me _Director Stark_. Tell me was it worth it??”

Tony is glad for the metal mask hiding his face, masking his reactions. The armor provides him with utters stillness that he's not feeling. Inside the armor he's shaking.

_I was trying to protect you. I wanted you to keep your moral high-ground and your precious principles. I wanted you to come out of this the voice of reason, the fucking symbol of moral fiber and turn the tide. And what did I turn you into instead?_

Steve screams, eyes blazing with anger, face bruised, uniform torn and bloody and dirty.

_Would you have preferred me to die over taking Extremis, Steve?_

_Would you have preferred to crush that shield into my face to make me pay for my betrayal?_

His body is shaking like a leaf in a tornado and he doesn't hear Steve's voice anymore as the white noise in his ears turns to pink noise and he nearly stumbls. But the armor doesn't move.

Only Steve can hurt him like this.

Because what Steve thinks of him has always mattered more.

The most.

And Tony's holding it together, but barely.

He can go now. Walk away. Steve can take his chances at the trial. He's Captain America; this might even sway public opinion even though it's unlikely.

Against better judgment, Tony pulls of his helmet, lets Steve see exactly how much damage he did. Extremis gives him a healing factor, but the worst bruises are still there.

Steve's eyes widen. 

“I am the bad guy,” Tony says. “That's what this is about?” 

He lets that sink in, watches Steve gather the his righteous anger to throw this back at Tony, but nothing comes. They stare at each other in silence. Tony's heart aches like it wants to stop – and he knows what that feels like intimately. He keeps staring while Steve's eyes search his face and take in the damage and his eyes narrow and he looks away.

That's the thing about war: all sides lose something, whatever the glorious story is later told by the victors.

He waits.

 _Ask me, Steve,_ he silently begs. _Ask me to get you out of there and I will. Tell me we can work something out. I'll do whatever you want, but give me something. I'd do it if only you asked._

Steve shakes his head as if he can hear Tony's thoughts.

Tony isn't surprised. 

He knows Steve.

He loves him even now.

And as long as he can keep Steve safe, can let Steve be the one who doesn't have to compromise, Tony can live with this. 

He puts the helmet back on.

He isn't stumbling when he walks away.

“Only you, Tony,” Steve whispers brokenly. “Only you make me this angry. I'm sorry.”

The door closes behind Tony and he catches his breath. “I'm sorry,” he whispers inside the Iron Man ask, where nobody can hear him.

He forces himself to walk away as if this hasn't tattled him to the core. 

There's work to be done.

**Author's Note:**

> You can follow me for fic updates on [tumblr](https://navaanwrites.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/navaanwrites). This fic has a post on the tumblr [here](https://navaanwrites.tumblr.com/post/171825594309/kryptonite-to-me-navaan-marvel-616-archive-of) in case you want to share it.


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